Congrats Old Salt. Where better to spend 40 years of vacations?

If you count my first trip with my parents to Crane and Sand Point when I was 6 mo. old, this will be 54 years to that country.
My first real trip by myself was in 1972 when I was 16. Another 16 year old and 2 14 year olds went to LLC and McAree and Minn for 9 days.
What were our parents thinking????? I'd never let my kids do that now days. ( Well OK maybe, they are probably better prepared than I was ).
My wife and I will celebrate 34 years of going to Q this summer with our usual 2 week trip the end of July. ( Doing the Cache - Trousers portages for the first time ).
Memories from when I was 16 .... Catching more fish than even a kid knew what to do with. We fished until our arms hurt and we ate more fish than you'd think humanly possible. I caught an 8 lb Walleye. Awesome weather, great company, wolves howling at night. We had a red squirrel get into our food pack - it took 3 days but we finally killed it with rocks and sticks. Revenge is important as a kid...
I camped in the same spot last summer, things have changed a lot, but the important stuff is still the same.... quiet, peaceful, beautiful, relaxing, good fishing. It is a good place to refresh the mind, body and spirit.
Memories from my first trip with my wife in 1978 ( our 2 week honeymoon ).   I can't believe that I was able to talk my wife into going to the Q for a 2 week honeymoon.... Darky River, Brent Lake, Argo Lake.... is there a more beautiful place to spend the start of a lifetime together? We started in a downpour and ended with a beautiful sunset 14 days later. ( My line for the rain was "Big drops, won't last long" ) 3 hours later the sun was out.  She had never camped or canoed before. 34 years later, she can't imagine not going to the Q for vacation.

Lots of random thoughts but I wouldn't change a thing about all my years of paddling in Quetico Park. Thanks OS for the trip down memory lane.

GeneM